Veritas NetBackup™ for Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup (8.1)
  1. Introducing NetBackup for SQL Server
    1.  
      Overview of NetBackup for SQL Server
    2.  
      Features of NetBackup for SQL Server
    3.  
      NetBackup for SQL Server terminology
    4.  
      Help for the NetBackup MS SQL Client
  2. Installing NetBackup for SQL Server
    1.  
      Planning the installation of NetBackup for SQL Server
    2.  
      Verifying the operating system and platform compatibility for NetBackup for SQL Server
    3.  
      NetBackup server and client requirements
    4.  
      Requirements for using NetBackup for SQL Server in a NetBackup cluster
    5.  
      About the license for NetBackup for SQL Server
  3. Instance Management for SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    1.  
      About Instance management for a SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    2.  
      About credentials used with SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    3.  
      Configuring the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    4.  
      Configuring local security privileges for SQL Server (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    5.  
      About the NetBackup Discovery Service (NetBackup for SQL)
    6. Viewing the SQL Server instances and instance groups in instance management
      1.  
        About instance actions (NetBackup for SQL)
      2.  
        About instance group actions (NetBackup for SQL Server)
    7. About registering SQL Server instances
      1.  
        Registering a SQL Server instance
      2. Registering instances with an instance group
        1.  
          Adding a SQL Server instance to an instance group
        2.  
          Registering instances automatically (NetBackup for SQL)
        3.  
          Validating instance group credentials
      3.  
        Authorizing a DBA to register instances with the nbsqladm command
    8.  
      Manually adding a SQL Server instance in instance management
  4. Configuring SQL Server backups with SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    1.  
      About SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    2.  
      About configuring SQL Server backups with SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    3.  
      Adding a new SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    4.  
      About policy attributes for NetBackup for SQL Server
    5.  
      About schedule properties (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    6.  
      Schedule backup types for SQL Server Intelligent Policies
    7.  
      Adding instances to a policy (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    8.  
      Adding databases to a policy (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    9.  
      Instance properties
    10.  
      Backup Selections tab
    11.  
      Adding SQL Server filegroups or files to the backup selections list
    12.  
      Manually adding SQL Server files or filegroups to the backup selections list (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    13.  
      Adding instance groups to a SQL Server Intelligent Policy
    14.  
      About tuning parameters for SQL Server backups
    15.  
      Backing up read-only filegroups (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
    16.  
      Backing up read-write filegroups (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
  5. Configuring NetBackup for SQL Server
    1.  
      Configuring mappings for restores of a distributed application, cluster, or virtual machine
    2.  
      Reviewing the auto-discovered mappings in Host Management
    3.  
      About NetBackup for SQL performance factors
    4.  
      Configuring the number of jobs allowed for backup operations
    5.  
      Configuring the Maximum jobs per client setting
    6.  
      Configuring multistriped backups of SQL Server
    7.  
      Performing a manual backup (NetBackup for SQL Server)
  6. Performing restores of SQL Server
    1.  
      Starting the NetBackup MS SQL Client for the first time (legacy SQL Server policies)
    2.  
      Selecting the SQL Server host and instance (SQL Server restores)
    3.  
      Browsing for SQL Server backup images
    4.  
      Options for NetBackup for SQL Server restores
    5.  
      Restoring a SQL Server database backup
    6.  
      Staging a full SQL Server database recovery
    7.  
      Restoring SQL Server filegroup backups
    8.  
      Recovering a SQL Server database from read-write filegroup backups
    9.  
      Restoring SQL Server read-only filegroups
    10.  
      Restoring SQL Server database files
    11.  
      Restoring a SQL Server transaction log image without staging a full recovery
    12.  
      Performing a SQL Server database move
    13.  
      About performing a SQL Server page-level restore
    14.  
      Configuring permissions for redirected restores
    15. Redirecting a SQL Server database to a different host
      1.  
        About selecting a master server when redirecting a SQL database to a different location on a different host
    16.  
      Performing a restore of a remote SQL Server installation
    17.  
      About restores of a database that contain full-text catalog
    18. Restoring multistreamed SQL Server backups
      1.  
        About conventional backups using multiple streams
      2.  
        About snapshot backup methods using multiple streams
      3.  
        Restoring a multistreamed SQL Server backup with fewer devices than it was backed up with
  7. Protecting SQL Server data with VMware backups
    1. About protecting SQL Server data with VMware backups
      1.  
        About the Veritas VSS provider for vSphere (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      2.  
        Limitations of using a VMware policy to protect SQL Server
    2.  
      About configuring NetBackup for VMware backups that protect SQL Server
    3.  
      Using NetBackup Accelerator to increase speed of full VMware backups (NetBackup for SQL Server)
    4.  
      Installing the Veritas VSS provider for vSphere (NetBackup for SQL)
    5.  
      Configuring the NetBackup services for VMware backups that protect SQL Server
    6.  
      Configuring a VMware backup policy to protect SQL Server
    7.  
      Configuring a VMware policy to protect SQL Server using Replication Director to manage snapshot replication
    8.  
      About truncating logs with a VMware backup that protects SQL Server
    9.  
      Restoring SQL Server databases from a VMware backup
  8. Using NetBackup for SQL Server with Snapshot Client
    1.  
      About NetBackup Snapshot Client for SQL Server
    2.  
      How SQL Server operations use Snapshot Client
    3.  
      Configuration requirements for SQL Server snapshot and Instant Recovery backups
    4.  
      Configuring a snapshot policy for SQL Server
    5.  
      Configuring a policy for Instant Recovery backups of SQL Server
    6. Using copy-only snapshot backups to affect how differentials are based
      1.  
        Sample backup schedule using copy-only backups
      2.  
        Creating a copy-only backup (legacy SQL Server policies)
      3.  
        Creating an Instant Recovery backup that is not copy-only (legacy SQL Server policies)
    7. About SQL Server agent grouped backups (legacy SQL Server policies)
      1.  
        Requirements for a grouped backup
      2.  
        Viewing the progress of a grouped backup
      3.  
        Restoring a database backed up in a group
  9. Protecting SQL Server in high availability (HA) environments
    1.  
      About SQL Server high availability (HA) environments
    2. About using NetBackup to protect SQL Server availability groups
      1.  
        Limitations of backups of availability groups
      2. About protecting the preferred replica in a SQL Server availability group (legacy backup policies)
        1.  
          Configuring an automatic backup policy for preferred replica of a SQL Server availability group (legacy SQL Server policies)
        2.  
          Creating batch files for the policy that protects the preferred replica
        3.  
          Adding the batch files to the policy that protects the preferred replica
      3. About protecting a specific node in a SQL Server availability group (legacy backup policies)
        1.  
          Configuring an automatic backup policy for a specific node of a SQL Server availability group (legacy policies)
        2.  
          Creating a batch file for the policy that protects a specific node in an availability group
        3.  
          Adding the batch files to the policy that protects a specific node in the availability group
      4.  
        Configuring SQL Server backups when an availability group crosses NetBackup domains
      5.  
        Restoring a SQL Server availability group database to the primary and the secondary replicas
      6.  
        Restoring a SQL Server availability group database to a secondary replica
      7.  
        Restoring an availability group database when an availability group crosses NetBackup domains
    3.  
      Configuring backups of clustered SQL Server instances (SQL Server Intelligent Policy)
    4.  
      Configuring backups of clustered SQL Server instances (legacy SQL Server policies)
    5.  
      Performing a restore of a virtual SQL Server instance
    6. About NetBackup for SQL Server with database mirroring
      1.  
        Configuring NetBackup to support database mirroring
      2.  
        Performing simultaneous backups for mirrored partners
      3.  
        Restoring a mirrored database backup image
    7.  
      Configuring NetBackup to support database log-shipping
    8.  
      Backing up SQL Server in an environment with log shipping
  10. Backup and recovery concepts
    1. Overview of SQL Server backup and recovery concepts
      1.  
        About SQL Server system database types
      2.  
        About SQL Server database backups
      3.  
        About SQL Server filegroup backups
      4.  
        About SQL Server differential backups
    2.  
      What are the components of NetBackup for SQL Server?
    3.  
      How does NetBackup resolve SQL Server host and instance names?
    4.  
      How does NetBackup for SQL Server back up a database?
    5.  
      How does NetBackup for SQL Server recover a database?
    6.  
      Protecting SQL Server files and filegroups
    7.  
      About recovery considerations for SQL Server files and filegroups
    8.  
      Reducing backup size and time by using read-only filegroups
    9.  
      What factors affect the data transfer rate during a SQL Server backup or restore operation?
    10. About recovery factors for SQL Server
      1.  
        About SQL Server transaction logs
      2.  
        About recovery strategies
      3.  
        About backing up the transaction log
      4.  
        About differential backups
      5.  
        About file and filegroup backups
      6.  
        About database recovery
      7.  
        About staging recovery
  11. Using NetBackup for SQL Server with multiple NICs
    1.  
      About configuration of SQL Server backups with multiple NICs
    2.  
      Configuring the NetBackup client with the private interface name
    3.  
      Configuring backups of SQL Server when you have multiple NICs (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
    4.  
      Configuring backups for SQL Server when you have multiple NICs (legacy SQL Server policies)
    5.  
      Performing restores of SQL Server when you have multiple NICs
    6.  
      Configuring backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (SQL Server Intelligent Policies)
    7.  
      Configuring backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (legacy SQL Server policies)
    8.  
      Creating a batch file for backups of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs (legacy SQL Server policies)
    9.  
      Performing restores of a SQL Server cluster when you have multiple NICs
  12. Configuring backups with legacy SQL Server policies using clients and batch files
    1.  
      About legacy SQL Server policies
    2.  
      About configuring backups with legacy SQL Server policies
    3.  
      Configuring the NetBackup services for SQL Server backups and restores (legacy SQL Server policies)
    4.  
      About SQL Server security with NetBackup legacy backup policies
    5. About using batch files with NetBackup for SQL Server
      1.  
        Keywords and values used in batch files
      2.  
        Creating a batch file
      3.  
        Running batch files
    6.  
      Adding a new SQL Server legacy policy
    7. About schedule properties (legacy SQL Server policies)
      1.  
        SQL Server backup types (for legacy policies)
      2.  
        Converting differential backups to full backups
      3.  
        Configuring an application backup schedule (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      4.  
        Example application backup schedule (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      5.  
        Configuring automatic backup schedules (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      6.  
        Example automatic backup schedule (NetBackup for SQL Server)
    8.  
      Adding clients to a policy
    9.  
      Adding batch files to the backup selections list (NetBackup for SQL Server legacy policy)
    10.  
      Selecting the SQL Server host and instance (SQL Server backups with legacy backup policies)
    11.  
      Options for SQL Server backup operations
    12.  
      About viewing the properties of the objects selected for backup
    13.  
      Performing user-directed backups of SQL Server databases
    14.  
      Backing up SQL Server transaction logs
    15.  
      Backing up SQL Server database filegroups
    16. Backing up read-only filegroups (legacy SQL Server backup policies)
      1.  
        Viewing SQL Server read-only backup sets
    17.  
      Backing up read-write filegroups (legacy SQL Server backup policies)
    18.  
      Backing up SQL Server database files
    19.  
      Performing partial database backups (SQL Server legacy backup policies)
    20.  
      Performing a backup of a remote SQL Server installation
    21.  
      About file checkpointing with NetBackup for SQL Server
    22.  
      About automatic retry of unsuccessful SQL Server backups
  13. Performing user-directed operations with dbbackex
    1.  
      Using dbbackex to perform user-directed operations for SQL Server
    2.  
      Using client-based schedulers with dbbackex
  14. Using bplist to retrieve a list of SQL Server backups
    1.  
      About using bplist to retrieve SQL Server backups
    2.  
      About NetBackup for SQL Server backup names
  15. SQL Server backups and restores in an SAP environment (legacy SQL Server policies)
    1. About SQL Server backups and restores in an SAP environment
      1. Creating batch files for automatic backups in for SQL Server in an SAP environment
        1.  
          Creating a batch file for database backups
        2.  
          Creating a batch file for transaction log backups
      2.  
        Monitoring backups on SQL Server
      3. Restoring the R/3 database
        1.  
          About including differential backups in a restore operation
        2.  
          Restoring the R/3 database after a disk crash
        3.  
          Restoring the database backups and transaction log backups
    2.  
      About manual backups of SQL Server in an SAP environmentAbout manual backups of SQL Server in an SAP environment
    3.  
      About policy configuration for SQL Server in an SAP environment
  16. Troubleshooting
    1.  
      About monitoring NetBackup for SQL Server operations
    2.  
      About NetBackup reports for SQL Server troubleshooting
    3. About debug logging for SQL Server troubleshooting
      1.  
        Creating all NetBackup debug logs for SQL Server troubleshooting
      2.  
        About backup operation debug logging for SQL Server
      3.  
        About restore operation debug logging for SQL Server
      4.  
        Setting the debug level on a NetBackup for SQL client
      5.  
        Veritas VSS provider logs (NetBackup for SQL Server agent)
    4.  
      Setting the maximum trace level for NetBackup for SQL Server
    5.  
      Troubleshooting credential validation with instance management (NetBackup for SQL Server)
    6.  
      About minimizing timeout failures on large SQL Server database restores
    7.  
      Troubleshooting VMware backups and restores of SQL Server
    8.  
      Delays in completion of backup jobs
    9.  
      SQL Server log truncation failure during VMware backups of SQL Server
    10.  
      SQL Server restore fails when you restore a SQL Server compressed backup image as a single stripe or with multiple stripes
    11.  
      Incorrect backup images are displayed for availability group clusters
    12.  
      A restore of a SQL Server database fails with Status Code 5, or Error (-1), when the host name of the SQL Server or the SQL Server database name has trailing spaces
    13.  
      A move operation fails with Status Code 5, or Error (-1), when the SQL Server host name, the database name, or the database logical name has trailing spaces
  17. Disaster recovery of a SQL Server
    1.  
      About disaster recovery of SQL Server
    2.  
      Preparing for disaster recovery of SQL Server
    3.  
      Recovering SQL Server databases after disaster recovery
  18. NetBackup for SQL dialog box topics
    1.  
      Backup History Options dialog box
    2.  
      Backup Microsoft SQL Server Objects dialog box
    3.  
      Manage Scripts
    4.  
      NetBackup client properties
    5.  
      Restore Microsoft SQL Server Objects dialog box
    6.  
      Browse Backup Selections dialog box
    7.  
      Browse Backup Selections dialog box
  19. NetBackup for SQL dialog box fields
    1.  
      Backup History Options field descriptions
    2.  
      Manage Scripts field descriptions
    3.  
      NetBackup client properties field descriptions
    4.  
      Viewing properties of objects selected for restore
    5.  
      About selecting database objects for restore
    6.  
      SQL Server connection properties
    7.  
      SQL Server connection properties field descriptions
  20. Appendix A. Sample batch files
    1. About sample backup batch files for legacy SQL Server policies
      1.  
        Script to back up a database (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      2.  
        Script to perform a striped database backup and allow multiple internal buffers per stripe (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      3.  
        Script to perform an operation and specify the user ID and password to use to SQL Server (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      4.  
        Script to perform multiple operations in sequence (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      5.  
        Script to perform a set of operations in parallel (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      6.  
        Script to specify the maximum transfer size and block size for a backup (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      7.  
        Script that uses environment variables to exclude instances and databases from backup(NetBackup for SQL Server)
    2. About sample restore batch files
      1.  
        Script to restore a database (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      2.  
        Script to restore a database from multiple stripes (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      3.  
        Script to stage a database restore from a filegroup backup, several file backups, and transaction log backups (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      4.  
        Script to restore a database transaction log up to a point in time (NetBackup for SQL Server)
      5.  
        Script to stage a database restore from a database backup, a differential backup, and a series of transaction backups (NetBackup for SQL Server)
  21. Appendix B. Multiplexed backups
    1.  
      Configuring multiplexed backups of SQL Server
    2.  
      Restoring a multiplexed SQL Server backup
  22. Appendix C. Register authorized locations
    1.  
      Registering authorized locations used by a NetBackup database script-based policy

Using copy-only snapshot backups to affect how differentials are based

SQL Server records the history of successful database backups in the msdb system database. It uses this history in to decide how to base differential backups. In particular, SQL Server creates differential database backups as cumulative with respect to the last full database backup that it has recorded in the msdb. This action allows for a quick recovery in case a failure has been detected after the last full database backup.

Assume that full backups are created every day at midnight; differentials are created every day at 6AM, noon, and 6PM; and transaction log backups are created every two hours. If a failure occurs at 7:50 P.M. on Tuesday, then a point in time recovery could be achieved with a restore of: the full database from Tuesday at 12AM, followed by the differential at 6PM on Tuesday, and finally the transaction log at 8PM (choose "to 7:50 P.M.").

However, with Instant Recovery backups, you may not retain the daily full backup after the next full backup is created. If you require a point in time restore before the latest backup, the differentials are based on the backups that no longer exist. The alternative is to recover based on the last full backup that was retained. And you have to use a potentially long sequence of transaction log images.

To resolve this issue, NetBackup lets you create the SQL Server Snapshot Client backups that are not recorded in the msdb. To create these backups, NetBackup uses the copy-only backup feature, which allows the backups to be created as out-of-band.

More Information

How SQL Server operations use Snapshot Client

Sample backup schedule using copy-only backups